


A Warrior's Heart

by ElaineGaron



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Royalty, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-07
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-09-06 13:26:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8753356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElaineGaron/pseuds/ElaineGaron
Summary: Victor is a kingdom's only prince and treasure, tired of his duties.Yuuri is a young man from the city, wanting nothing more than to join the Royal Guard.What will happen when their paths cross?





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright... I'm pretty new to this fandom if I'm honest, but let's do this!
> 
> The basic idea is based on the AU of a roleplay I'm doing. We both really liked the idea and I had to find something new to procrastinate after cleaning my room with so... I started typing this up.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this AU as much as my Beta reader (and roleplay partner) and I do!

Victor found himself struggling to keep his eyes open as his tutor kept on talking about some drama he was supposed to be attending  next week.  He already knew it would be tiresome, and that he would not enjoy it as much as he would have liked to. It always was he same. Some beautiful, charming young man met a beautiful woman who was not of his standing or already married. And nearly every time it ended in the tragic death of at least one of those characters as they professed their undying love for each other. He never understood why he needed lectures on what he was going to be seeing a performance of, whenever he was attending some sort of play or performance. It was Yakov who seemed to consider it a necessity that he knew as much about it before even watching it.

Yakov was his advisor. An old friend of his father, and when he was younger he took care of the rather neglected prince. Victor’s father had never cared much for him as a child and spent minimal amounts of  time with him, compared to maids and even Yakov, who could still find time to see him even with his very busy schedule as one of the king’s advisors. In more recent years and especially over the course of the past few months he became more and more worried about the prince. He was already 27 and still had not found a bride. And when he had an accident on the training field, Yakov had decided Victor had to focus on becoming more “princely” as he put it. The man had even quit as one of his father’s advisors to take care of the younger male. 

With a sigh he pushed his hair out of his face, looking at the tutor, who was starting to look agitated by his lack of interest in the subject at hand.    
“It is important that you know about this part! You are a charming young man and still you find yourself without a wife, maybe this drama can teach you at least a little of the joys of married life!” the old man rambled on, pushing his glasses there were slipping off back in place. Victor looked at him, his hair falling into his face again as he blew it away, sighing.    
“How does a play in which the woman kills herself because her husband dies on the battlefield – a place I am not even permitted to visit as I am the only heir my father has – help me charm women who only want me for my social standing? I do not understand this. And I do not understand why I need to have knowledge of everything that happens. I would much rather just watch the performance and find out during that.”   
He could tell that he had pushed the man too much now, seeing his face turn red as he shut the book with force.   
“If you think you are that well versed in life as you are now, then find yourself a bride already. The whole kingdom is waiting. Your father is not going to get younger just because his dearest son can’t decide on which beautiful flower to pluck!” He was standing now, panting heavily as he glared at the prince. How could such an insolent little brat be expected to become a prince? As the tutor wondered about this and started walking away, Victor realized now was his chance to explore outside the castle walls for a while. 

The tutor, an old man whose name he could not remember, having given up on even trying to learn them all as they changed nearly weekly would most likely be searching for Yakov now to quit. Most thought it was impossible to indoctrinate him with literature and the fine arts by now. Though it was quite wrong that he had no interest in the topic. He actually was fascinated by it, and read a lot of poetry and dramas in his chambers hidden from the public eye. He merely did not enjoy that they tried to use literature to push him into finding a bride and producing an heir so he could take the throne. He also missed being on the training grounds. Sword fighting had always been one of his passions and he was considered one of the best swordsmen in the kingdom. And now that it was taken from him for a petty cut that any member of the guard would have  continued on their training with, he felt like something was missing from his life. His motivation was gone. He had no inspiration to practice the fine arts either. He felt as if a part had been taken for him. The wound had barely left a scar and the guard had been thrown out of the palace for injuring the precious prince. 

Victor had barely noticed that he had returned to his chambers, until he was pretty much run over by his dog. Making him smile and laugh slightly as the animal immediately made him feel better. He let out a small laugh, petting Makkachin’s head softly. His face was licked a bunch of times until he was satisfied that Victor had been cheered up and he let him get back to his feet. Victor was still smiling as he looked around the room. It was far too empty. There was nothing but luxury and the only love inside these chambers was coming from a dog.  Makkachin looked at him with his usual questioning gaze before trotting off, returning with a cloak in his mouth.

Victor needed a moment to understand that his dog was suggesting for him to sneak out again. He had picked up the habit once he was no longer permitted to train with his sword. He would try to hide himself and use the tunnels made to allow a flight in case of an attack to leave the castle. Most of the time his trips were short as the royal guard noticed his absence rather quickly, coming to look for him. He had always managed to remain unseen and not got caught. Yakov probably knew how he had found his way out but said nothing about it to anyone, not even Victor’s father. And he was grateful for that. It just showed how much the man really cared about him. He didn’t sell him out but let him have at least some freedom, even if it was dangerous. It also told Victor though that it was his father who had limited him from fighting. Though he hoped it would be changed once the new members of the guard were selected in a few months.

He pulled on the cloak, using the hood to cover his brightly colored silver hair. It was one of his trademark signs and he always needed to hide it when he left the castle unless it was an official occasion. He was easy to recognize as he was popular with the common people. He made sure no one was outside his room except the guard before opening the tunnels, leaving a happily watching Makkachin in his room with a soft smile.

The tunnels stretched on for miles under the castle and it had taken Victor multiple tries to find a path that lead him outside. He had gotten lost a few times before as well, actually worrying that he would not find his way back. The tunnels were after all designed as a sort of defense against intruders who were supposed to get lost in them. Normally the royal family knew every path, however he had never been taught any of them. He lived in times of peace; his father did not consider such a thing necessary, especially with his son’s popularity. He was soon able to see the end, knowing he was about to enter the city in one of the better quarters. He pulled the cloak on tightly, regretting not having changed out of his prince’s garb with all the glitter and flashing colors into the simple linen clothing he had bought on one of his first visits, but deciding it was too late to change now. If he returned to his rooms now, he was likely going to get caught. He headed into the city, the cloak wrapped tightly around him and the hood pulled down to cover his face. 

He loved the smells of the city. Not only wonderful perfumes could be smelt, but also food and things like waste. The castle was nothing like this. All that was there was perfume of roses and food in the dining hall. He loved how different the city was with every day. It was bustling with life and he wasn’t paid much attention even with his unusual attire. There were enough travelers who would wear cloaks, coming from warmer climates.

Victor kept walking, intending to head towards a farmer’s market a little further out when he noticed a member of the royal guard standing in the middle of the street. A soft curse he would have been scolded for at the palace slipped past his lips as he looked for a way to evade being caught this soon. He started heading into some alleyways, using them as a means to conceal his very movements. Somehow he managed to get to where the market was held, not truly fitting in in the shabby looking cloak he was wearing.  He was about to turn and pass into the last alley before reaching the marketplace, suddenly being stopped by a man standing there. But that wasn’t what was unusual about him. He had met many people on the paths he had taken but something about this person was different. And the he saw it.

A sword cut through the air, colliding with a wooden doll that had been placed in the alley, leaving him gaping for a moment. The man had not noticed him yet, too focused on his training as he started a step and fighting sequence, attacking the doll. Victor had not seen anything like it in a long time. There was something he could only describe as fire or passion in every hit. The sword was swung precisely, hitting its mark perfectly, leaving even more dents and cuts on the already damaged doll. He watched the man even closer. Was this a member of the guard, the prince wondered. No, it couldn’t be. They were not allowed to wear such attire. They had to always bear the prince’s or king’s insignia, depending on who they were assigned to. This man was wearing a commoner’s garb and no insignia. He also had somewhat sloppy footwork at times, something a royal guard would not have. However the stranger fascinated the young prince.

Victor moved closer as the man came to a halt, panting after having shown incredible stamina many could only dream of. It had been a long time since he had been intrigued with a fighter. He stopped as the sword was swung again, leaving him wondering how one who pushed his limits like this was not a member of his guard.

“When you’re going to parry, try to keep your arm straight. If your arm is bent it makes it easier for your opponent to push you in and move closer to you,” Victor didn’t even realize that he spoke until the words were out, the man in front of him having jumped and then frozen, the sword clattering to the floor in shock. The prince could tell that he had been unnoticed until that very moment. The man who he had just so rudely interrupted looked at him, blinking a few times before picking up the sword. He stood the way Victor had suggested.   
“Like this?”

It was amazing to Victor. He had not had anyone listen to him like this on the training grounds in a while so a complete stranger was even more amazing. He nodded before the stranger dropped the sword again. Well, he still held it but pointed the blade to the ground as was common practice.   
“Well, parrying has always been the reason I didn’t make it into the guard…” he said, smiling slightly. Victor couldn’t help but feeling like that smile was infectious, sneaking onto his face as well as he made sure his head was still covered. He sighed, dropping the hood.    
“It has been a while since anyone listened to what I told them for anything but my rank,” he said with a smile still on his face, closing in on the smaller male, taking his hand and pressing a kiss to it.

The clatter of a sword hitting the floor again could be heard, making it seem even louder in the otherwise silent alleyway. The man pulled his hand away, hitting a wall as he pulled himself back, his face one of pure shock. Victor tilted his head, looking slightly confused for a moment until the stranger fell to his knees, reminding him that he was not at the palace where people were used to seeing him.   
“Y-Your highness!” the man called out, dropping to his knees and bowing, nearly falling over, making Victor laugh slightly as he reached out to pull the other back to his feet.   
“Please don’t fret over such formalities. I do not enjoy those much.”

The stranger looked at him in pure shock when Victor suddenly heard the clanking of armor. He looked somewhat scared for a second. The city guard was patrolling all the markets, how could he forget. They would recognize him when they saw him, especially now that his hood was off. He didn’t feel like he wanted these trip to end. Not anymore. He had met someone who sparked something inside him he had never felt before. It was as if inspiration struck like lightning. He could soon enough see the light reflecting off the armor, looking at the man in front of him.    
“Do you have access to any of the shops around here?”

The stranger nodded, opening a door not far from the doll. Victor hurried inside, noticing they were in some backroom with no one but him and the man – who had just collected the sword before following him inside – inside. He looked around in fascination at how humble the whole building looked compared to what he was used to. And he could not deny that he did in fact enjoy it. It was so much more beautiful than all the lavish at the castle.   
“It’s not a shop but my parent’s inn… But I hope it will do, your highness. Of course it’s very unfitting for someone like you…” Victor turned around as the stranger spoke, laughing softly.   
“I think it is beautiful! Much more home like than what I am used to, I really like it. And please, do drop the formalities.”

He sat down at the only table in the room, smiling as he inspected the simple wooden furniture. He couldn’t help loving the look. It was so much warmer than all that gold in the palace. Looking at the stranger, Victor spoke again. “I actually was looking for some place that would sell some piroshkies. You wouldn’t know one without risk of running into the city guard, would you?”   
The man in front of him looked at him, not quite sure what to reply before he headed through another door, returning with a woman behind him who carried a tray only moments later.   
She smiled, placing it on the table. “A guest had ordered some but I made too many, please do eat, your highness,” she said with a smile before leaving again.

The stranger now dared to sit next to him as he started to eat, unable to hide his contempt with the taste. They were delicious like nothing he had ever had before.   
“Why would you desire such common food? Is… Is it not much better at the castle?”   
Victor looked up, chuckling as he held the piroshky out to the man.    
“Actually, this is better than anything I ever had at the palace. Your mother is a wonderful cook. I could eat this all day. I would even prefer this over all the food I get at the palace. You can taste that these were made with love. Do try them.” He still held the piece out to the other, smiling at him. It had been a while since he had smiled so much, he realized. The stranger picked up one from the plate though, not looking at him as he ate. It probably was a little too much for him to be sharing food with the prince. Though Victor couldn’t help being slightly disappointed that he had not taken a bite from the one he was holding.

They ate in silence for a while until Victor spoke again. “If you want I can train you so you make it into the guard. You have talent; it would be a shame if you didn’t make it this time.”   
The stranger looked up at him, seemingly in shock at his words. But he still nodded.   
“I-It would be an honor, your highness,” and there the formalities were again. Victor sighed slightly at them, shaking his head before smiling at the stranger, dropping some coins on the table.    
“Do tell your mother that I will definitely come back for more. And I will soon be back to train you. You have so much potential.” He smiled, standing up. “What is your name?” 

“Yuuri…” came the meek reply as Victor took the others hand, placing a soft kiss on it.  _ Yuuri,  _ he thought. A beautiful name for a beautiful young man. And before the other could mutter a reply, Victor pulled on his hood and disappeared through the door he had come from, returning to the castle with his passion and inspiration burning anew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.. that was my try to end it somewhat mysteriously. I'm bad at that, whatever.
> 
> I'm going to be trying to update at least once a week, however it also depends on my beta. I do not want to published anything that hasn't been beta'd anymore, I tend to make too many dumb typos that make me feel like hitting my head against a wall for that.  
> I intend it to be either every Sunday or Monday when I update until the story is done.
> 
> I hope you liked it and I'd love to hear your opinions on this so far. It's planned out for a while, though I'm still trying to decide on a few points later in time. At the moment it is still planned to be plain out fluff with a dish of clouds at times. Mature is in case some of the later chapters might end up being a little more sexy. But no promises on that yet.
> 
> Thank you for reading~


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the amount of positive feedback for the first chapter! I never felt like any of my works was as well received as this one. Thank you for your Kudos, bookmarks and comments!

Yuuri was sitting at the table for what felt like an eternity, the minutes ticking past without him even realizing. Nearly missing when his mother entered the room again and started collecting the dishes in order to finish in the kitchen. She was humming, a soft sound looking at her son in a way that suggested that she knew more than he did about what had just happened. All he could think of was Victor. The man he had idolized for so long had been sitting next to him, sharing food with him. And he had offered to train Yuuri so he would make it into the royal guard. 

It had caught Yuuri off-guard when he had been interrupted while training by the other suggesting how he could improve his stance. At that point he however still thought he was facing some traveler, not the prince of his kingdom. He didn’t even manage to say goodnight, still thinking about everything that had transpired that day as he headed to bed. It was barely evening but if he was honest, he had no idea what to do with himself anymore. To the young man it still seemed as if he was dreaming, and if he went to bed and fell asleep he would wake up again in the real world where royalty would not offer to train him.

Of course sleep would not come easy to Yuuri. Instead his mind was wandering, projecting Victor’s face onto the ceiling for him. He reached out as if to softly touch the prince’s cheek and brush the hair out of his eyes. Victor’s eyes reminded Yuuri of the ice on the lake where all celebrations were held in winter. At the same time he felt reminded of a morning’s clear sky. Blinking a few times managed to make the picture vanish but the thoughts remained. And many of them were rather improper, making Yuuri scold himself for them. This was a prince. Not  his future wife. Someone he would never have… And still part of him hoped for more than to be just a guard to him.

Yuuri sighed, rolling over onto his side. He didn’t know when and if Victor would show up again but he did hope so. It would definitely increase his chances to finally become a member of the Royal Guard. And if he was not going to come again, Yuuri would still try. Having met his idol now, he wanted to become part of his guard more than ever. He just felt the urge to protect the prince with his life.  And if he did train hard and improved he would make it.

After what felt like hours but were only minutes, he passed out and was fast asleep, waking up in the next morning to the rattling of pots and dishes in the kitchen. He actually needed a while to truly wake up, his mind wandering back to Victor’s visit a day before. He felt his energy surge as he jumped out of bed, grabbing some small piece of bread from the kitchen and heading to the alleyway. He knew he had to lose weight so he tried to reduce his intake a little. At least in the morning before actually being active. So after eating his piece of bread, which he had ripped off a random loaf – something he would still be scolded for by his father, even if only for a little – he picked up his sword, starting his training again. This time he focused on keeping his arms straight like Victor had told him while he practiced parrying.

The day passed soon enough and Yuuri was covered in sweat and exhausted, only quickly washing himself off before eating dinner and going back to bed to think about Victor. And the cycle began anew with nothing changing, except maybe the fact that slowly, Yuuri started to doubt Victor’s words. He had not come to him yet. After all, he had no reason to do so either. Victor was a prince and Yuuri? His parents owned an inn in the city and paid taxes to the king. He was a no one in comparison and barely worth the time of someone of such a rank. And still he hoped that it was true and that he would not spend another day on his own. Even if that hope was slowly growing weaker.

It had been a week since Victor had visited him, when Yuuri was standing in the alleyway, out of breath, holding the sword out in front, when arms wrapped around him from behind and his legs were moved by someone’s feet until he was standing in a proper position. “I told you to hold your arms straight, didn’t I?” a rather sweet sounding voice whispered in his ear, making him jump, hitting the wall in no time. He blinked a few times, able to peek at Victor’s smiling face under the hood of the old cloak he wore in the city.   
“I am sorry I am so late. I could not skip any meetings or lessons last week. People constantly were around me, so I could hardly slip away.” 

He did look apologetic, Yuuri had to admit. And he couldn’t be mad at Victor for having a prince’s duties. He did not decide to be born into such a high rank. So he just stood there, silently – awkwardly even – and tried to calm his heart down. He did get a slight shock when he felt himself being held like that, not having expected anyone to get that close to him. Not even robbers usually did that.   
“Well, shall we get started on your training?” Victor smiled at him, making sure his hood was in place so he could not be seen – or at least not recognized – by the city guard. Yuuri nodded at him, still not completely focused but trying his best to get ready and into position to start showing what he had done over the past week.

Victor stepped up behind him as he took his stance, once again getting very close as he corrected Yuuri’s position. He didn’t seem to mind the close contact as much as the younger male did, who felt that the touch was far too intimate for a prince and commoner but not saying anything. Maybe this was how Victor trained everyone, not only him. He didn’t know what training at the castle was like. He instead tried to focus on what Victor was saying and how he was making sure Yuuri held his hands and placed his feet on the ground than think about how close he got to the other.

They spent a few hours with Victor mostly criticizing Yuuri’s footwork which they both knew was often sloppy. His sloppiness also was one of the reasons he was not a member of the royal guard yet. He would always stumble at a crucial point and fall or fail to parry, ending the fight and with that his chances. So Victor looked at Yuuri’s feet and kept correcting him, making sure they were placed right.

The sun was setting by the time Victor clapped his hands, looking at Yuuri with a smile on his face, making the younger male blush again.    
“How about we have dinner now? I’ll have to see what you eat to get so out of shape. And I promised your mother to come back for her delicious food as well,” he suggested. Yuuri nodded after a slow delay his brain needed to comprehend what he was told. However, he could gladly say that this time it was out of tiredness rather than confusion. His body was too tired to worry about what victor was doing and how close he was to him. Instead Yuuri opened the door, placing the sword back where it belonged as he went to get his mother, watching as Victor dropped his hood and took a seat at the table. The smile of course still was in place.

His mother already came out of the kitchen though when he opened the door, holding a plate in her hands. She didn’t say anything as she placed the dish on the table and Yuuri taking a seat as well once they were alone once more. He stared at the table for a while though as if he had lost his mind. In front of them was a dish which traditionally was served at weddings. It was to be consumed by the couple by being fed to each other and was supposed to guarantee a happy marriage. And right now it was standing between him and the prince of the kingdom. Yuuri could not believe his mother could be so bold in what she did. He knew there was no wedding for at least another week and to make it consumed a lot of time and used more ingredients than anything else on their menu. And still it stood in front of him.

It wasn’t until Victor held out a fork in front of him, offering him a bite. Yuuri looked up at him, not sure if his mind was playing tricks on him. Was he really about to take a bite from a prince’s fork? He hesitated for a moment before allowing himself to accept it, his face turning a bright red. Victor’s head tilted to the side slightly. “Do eat something. You must be exhausted after practicing for so long, Yuuri. And your mother’s cooking is delicious. I can understand how you gain weight easily. If I was offered this every day, I would be in even worse shape than you!”

So he had no idea that he had just offered Yuuri something that promised a happy marriage. Instead of thinking much he picked up a bite as well, holding it out to Victor. If he truly thought about what he was doing, he would immediately drop the fork. And without hesitating even for a moment Victor took the bite, smiling even happier than normally while Yuuri tried to figure out what that meant. He came to the conclusion that he had just done this as a sort of promise to make it into the guard and protect Victor with his life. If he even did so much as allow any other thought he knew he would lose his mind.

They continued eating, Victor telling him about the drama he had attended the night earlier. It was a play about a young woman and her lover. She was the princess of some far away kingdom; he was a knight. They met through coincidence and fell in love. Soon after their country went to war though and the man had to leave and fight to protect his princess. He lost his life on the battlefield, leaving behind the princess to mourn his death. She never married anyone after he had died, ending her bloodline forever. It did sound tragic, even though it supposedly was a little too cliché for Victor as he told Yuuri, who was glad to not have to reply but just listen.

It was an enjoyable meal as Yuuri had to admit. At some point he caught himself staring at Victor with the need to brush the hair out of his face. Of course he had realized quickly and stopped himself, not willing to ruin his chances at finally making it into the guard by being too bold with the prince. Instead he focused on not overeating, knowing he had to get in shape and listening to what Victor told him. He couldn’t deny enjoying the stories from the palace. It sounded like such a different place to what he was used to.

He barely looked away from Victor the whole time they spent inside, laughing at his every joke and starting to actually be able to hold a conversation without hesitating before every word he said. Of course it was still hard for him to drop all the required formalities, but it did feel good to not have to worry about such a thing. Instead he also started telling stories of his life, enjoying how he could share something as simple as his everyday life and have someone fascinated by it.

“And what did you do when you realized you left the fruit at the stall?” Victor asked, actually looking kind of shocked at such a thing.    
“The vendor is a good friend of mine, she followed me and made sure I got them back… well she tried but stumbled on the way and fell. It might sound rude but it was a rather funny sight how she was covered in pulp…”   
Something in Victor’s face looked as if it was locking Yuuri out in that moment, leaving him confused. “Did I say something wrong?” he questioned, kind of scared he had ruined his chances now.   
“She must mean a lot to you.”   
“Well, yes… we grew up together… she’s one of my oldest friends.”   
“I see. So you intend to marry her?” the question took Yuuri aback, making him blink a couple of times, confusion written on his face.   
“She’s married to a childhood friend and they have three children, I doubt it would even be possible.”

Victor now smiled at him as if whatever had just made him close himself in had opened again. “Good, it’s better for you not to marry young. Especially if you want to join the Guard. Most married men do not make it because their loyalties are expected to lie with their families, not me or my father. Did you know the Royal Guard consists of two parts? The Prince’s Guard and the King’s Guard. Which would you prefer to join?”   
Yuuri looked at Victor, “The Prince’s Guard of course but if you were crowned I would prefer to stay in your guard… I don’t know how it would change but… I’ve always admired you. You were a prince and still such a skilled fighter… I only picked up the sword after seeing one of your performances. My parents had saved all year to buy me a ticket to one of those contests. I knew I wanted nothing more than to learn to fight from the moment I saw you enter the ring. Though you did look quite different back then… long hair does suit you…” he mumbled, now lost in thoughts as he carefully brushed Victor’s hair back to look in his eyes. “It made your eyes seem even brighter.”

Victor seemed taken aback by how bold Yuuri was being suddenly, laughing slightly when the other started apologizing again and again. “Do not fret over such a thing. So you watched me fight in one of those shows my father used to organize? I do miss them at times. Who taught you to fight after that? You surely did not study alone, did you? You have a very high quality sword. Many members of my guard would envy you if they knew.”   
“A friend of my family made it for me when he noticed how interested I was. His son also trained me as he was a member of the City Guard. I long since stopped practicing with him. He joined the King’s Guard a few years ago. Now I mostly train alone with that doll outside. Well, until today I trained alone.”

Victor smiled, seemingly fascinated by the story. Yuuri blushed, looking at the empty plate in front of them, considering if it would seem rude if he got up and carried it to the kitchen but he felt like he had just shared more than he intended to about himself. He kept his gaze on the table as he continued for a moment. “You looked as if you were truly enjoying yourself. I had never seen anyone move with so much grace and beauty but also look like the fiercest warrior at the same time.”

It was after he said those word that Victor picked up his hand, placing a soft kiss on it as he left some coins on the table. “I will try to come back soon. I am sorry but it is dark outside and I will soon be visited by one of my advisors and should be in my room by then. I would prefer to stay longer but I should not neglect my duties. The more I focus on doing them correctly, the quicker there will be a day I can come back here. I hope it will be tomorrow already. Goodbye Yuuri.”

And before he could react, Yuuri was alone again. He sat around, not even noticing when the candles were blown out from the wind entering through the not completely closed door. Had he said anything wrong? Why would Victor – a prince – keep treating him as if he was an equal? Why did he keep getting so close to Yuuri?

His mind was spinning as he returned the dishes to the kitchen, giving his mother the coins. They were more than the meal cost, making his father smile while his mother patted his hand where Victor had kissed it before ushering him to his room and into bed. Yuuri gladly collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. He could still feel the soft touch of lips on his hands as he slowly drifted off to sleep. He did not understand what was happening to him. He had never felt the way he did. It was as if his heart was elsewhere than his mind and he could not explain the feeling. But he knew as he fell into a dream full of color reminding him of Victor’s eyes that something was happening. He only did not know what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, chapter two and a change of POV. And I definitely prefer writing Victor's. It's so much easier to write the character that is more comfortable with the situation :'D  
> Either way, I hope you like it :)  
> Do tell me what you think of it, I'd love some opinions.  
> The POV will change a couple of times, though I will try not to change it within a chapter. And I won't promise that it will switch with every chapter. I'll see who I want to tell the next part :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I think I have all the POVs I wanted now. I was really not sure whether or not to use this as third or fourth chapter but well, it grew on me.

Yuri groaned as he lowered his sword.Having to support himself in order to not collapse from exhaustion. About a year ago Victor had promised to train him personally if he should win the castle’s yearly tournament. It was an occasion for the land’s best fighters to come together and try their strength against each other. For the past few years, the prince had always come out victorious in his battles. But this year he would very likely not be permitted to participate due to his injury. And of course Yuri saw his chance to show the kingdom that he could surpass even their prince. And if he won the qualifications – something new that had just been introduced a few years ago to limit the amount of contestants in the final to six instead of the possible dozens – he would be trained by Victor himself. That at least had been the promise made between them. He just hoped the other remembered…

Yuri had been twelve when he had joined the Royal Guard and had since proven to be one of the best swordsmen of the kingdom; especially considering his age. He still was not permitted outside the castle walls, though because of his young age. It had been three years since he had joined so he was 15 at this point. Outside the walls no one below the age of 16 allowed, though the average was between 18 and 25. In turn for not being allowed outside he had trained hard and became a member of the Prince’s guard instead, which made it more logical to remain inside the castle unless there was a special occasion.    
He would not have been allowed to join the Royal Guard as young as he did, if his father had not been in the King’s inner circle and a well-liked noble. Though Yuri had to admit, that he had never cared as much about being nobility as everyone expected him to; instead he started tailing Victor from a young age, seeing a possible teacher and inspiration in him. Not to mention that he might have had the tiniest crush on him for a while even though he knew how wrong it was. And he had to admit, it was rather exhausting that it was wrong of him to like the prince. There were enough homosexual couples in the palace and especially among the guard but… Victor was a prince. He needed to have an heir. And not to forget that he was twelve years Yuri’s senior. It was highly unlikely anything would ever happen so the younger male had buried those feelings long ago. Now he just wanted to receive private training from Victor in order to someday surpass him as a fighter.

Yuri looked up as someone was talking to him, recognizing the woman offering him some water immediately. “I’m not a little kid, Mila. Stop trying to pamper me, you old hag.”   
She did look somewhat hurt by his words but shrugged, picking up the sword once she had passed the goblet to the still panting youth. She twirled it in her hand, looking straight at him.    
“A shame that women still are not permitted to participate in the King’s festival. Well, I’m not going to complain; at least I got to join the guard because the laws were finally changed. And still…” She held the throat out as if to threaten Yuri, pointing it straight at his throat.   
“Cut it out,” he bellowed at her as he grabbed the handle of the sword, pulled it towards him and pushed the goblet in her now empty hand. “I’m going back to practicing; I can’t win at the festival if I don’t get better.” 

Yuri left Mila standing where she was as she blinked the shock at his behavior away. He always was somewhat grumpy and rude but she had just offered him something to drink and he had definitely needed the water. As she turned with a shrug, the young male went back to practicing what looked like some choreography. It was a copy of his movements from his last training fight with Victor with corrections whenever he had made a mistake. Most members of the guard had been impressed by how long he lasted against such a skilled swordsman. And then they started belittling him as he fell, Victor claiming victory. Of course a little kid could never defeat the prince. Like hell couldn’t he. He already was better than Victor had been at his age, knowing he easily could win if he knew the other’s moves better. But as he rarely was training with the Guard, there was barely anyone who knew his way of fighting. He hissed as he nearly pulled a muscle in his arm, having stepped out before a swing as he got distracted by his thoughts. Yuri rolled his shoulder a few times, trying to rid himself of the soft sting that was left by his mistake. 

With a sigh the blond decided it was time to stop. He was too distracted to do well. Mila was right; he was pushing his luck and might just end up injuring himself if he went on like this. He could not afford an injury though. The Festival was in a few months and he needed to be able to focus on practice as much as possible. There already were a few favorites in the first qualification battles. Those were battled of two fighters in a roster that would make sure everyone had an equal amount of battles. They were held in every big city of the kingdom and only the people with the most victories would perform at the festival. This year it was especially strict and a lot of new rules were defined, due to a foreign king who would be visiting the event. Of course he had to be impressed by the fighters who he would actually see perform.

Yuri already knew that he was very likely to perform well enough to be in the grand finale, which also allowed the winner to make a wish that the king would grant. And it was a possible chance to prove to his parents that he did make a good choice deciding to become a swordsman. So far only his grandfather had ever supported his decision much. Yuri sighed, putting his sword – which his grandfather had a blacksmith forge specifically for him – into his chambers before heading to wash grime and sweat off his skin.

The baths were mostly empty as he had stayed longer than most again. He often did, as only few were interested in the Festival and most were too secure about their abilities. He knew they would quickly be out of the competition with how little they cared about their training. Unlike him, he was spending every minute he had training hard to become better and possibly win. He wanted Victor to be his private coach, until he could surpass him. And it was only a matter of time until he would be.

Yuri nearly cried out when he dumped the cold water over his head and the shock came surprising. He had been so lost in thought that he had not realized how long he had been standing there. The water had already cooled down by the time he went to wash the soap off. With a shiver, Yuri slowly slid into the pool of hot water, diving down completely as he was now freezing, even if he was sat in hot water. With a sigh he came back up, pulling his hair back from his face. Maybe he should tie it during the competition… It could become bothersome and at the moment he tended to only pull part of it back…    
He sighed, relaxing his sore muscles for a while longer in the how water. He had not relaxed in too long and he could feel that he was pushing his body to its limits with how much he practiced every day.

After a while Yuri could hear someone else approaching the baths, hearing a clearly female voice. The bath was for both genders, though there usually were differences in when the women came in after training. A lot of his fellow guards were rather… bold when it came to women. Something he never understood. These were also fighters, why did anyone feel like treating them as if they were someone’s wife? He didn’t move, just closed his eyes as two women he barely knew entered the bath, not minding him much. He had made a name for himself as being decent. Truth was, he simply did not enjoy looking at their bodies. It gave him little to no pleasure – unlike so many other members of the Royal Guard. Maybe it also was his age, which reduced his interest slightly. He had only had one crush so far and that was not a woman. As the women started gossiping about someone’s genitals he got out of the water. Now that was something he did not need to hear. Yuri got dressed and instead wandered back to his chambers.

He was just passing through one of the courtyards when he noticed something strange. Someone in shabby clothing and a hooded cloak was standing in front of a wall. He stopped in quite some distance, watching the person. He looked away when two servants passed him, guessing that stranger also was a servant. However, when he turned back, the man was gone and Yuri could have sworn he had seen some flash of silver under the hood when the stranger had looked at him for a split second and had raised a finger to his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be updating characters and ships as they come along, just to mention it. I have at least one more pairing planned but it's too early to announce. It's not hard to guess really, it is really popular but I don't feel like giving it away by putting it up there just yet.  
> Please notice, the POV will change based on the plot, there will be no planned or fixed order. For now I'm intending Victor to be the next but I might change it, depending on what I consider more fitting.  
> Do tell me what you think please, I love reading your comments :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long. Holidays kept me busy. Hope you enjoy the new chapter!

Victor had been dutifully taking care of every single task Yakov assigned him. He also went through all his lessons without scaring a single tutor off. For the first time since he had been forced to stop training, the prince was actually doing what he was supposed to and not slacking off or annoying anyone. It was the first time he had the motivation to do well. Yuuri was one of the best reasons he could imagine to motivate him to take care of his duties. He could only sneak out when he had no one looking for him and in order to get that possibility he had to get rid of any tasks or lessons.

It sounded easier than it was. With the tournament coming up, he could not help missing the feeling of a sword in his hand. And still he focused on every lesson about the lands they would be receiving a  king as guest from. Even if he regularly was told about how beautiful said king’s daughter was and how perfect of a bride she would be for him. All Victor could think of whenever he heard the word “bride” as someone suggested her as his future wife, was Yuuri’s face before his eyes. He was truly lost. And he loved that he was lost. It was the first time he had felt that way and the prince couldn’t deny that he did in fact desire Yuuri to be his partner. Even though he knew not to get his hopes up too much. There was still a chance he would be turned down. 

With a soft smile playing on his lips, Victor got changed. He put his very sparkly prince’s garb away, instead putting on some of his shabby clothes that he had bought from beggars and markets in exchange for better clothing or more gold than necessary. It made him blend in very well, only his hair was still making him stand out but the alleyway he always trained Yuuri in was well protected from sight and the other never even looked like he considered telling anyone about being visited by Victor of all people. His parents seemed to feel honoured but had not seemed to consider selling him out either. 

The past few months had been special to him. He had trained a wonderful young man who he also got to know better than he knew his own father. He had even managed to convince Yuuri once to let him stay in his room overnight and could not help being proud of himself for managing to get that much from the other. He felt like Yuuri also was attracted and drawn to him but it seemed he was very hesitant. He still was very worried that he would not pass and make it into the Royal Guard, disappointing Victor. Little did the younger male know, that Victor would not care. He could tell by now that he had fallen in love with Yuuri. Even if he would never say those words just yet. It would only scare the other and make him distance himself.

The hood of his cloak was hiding Victor face as he used the passages commonly taken by servants until he entered the courtyard, crossing it quicker than he should have to go unnoticed at all. But he could not help it. Victor was already so excited to tell Yuuri when and where the examination for him to join would be. And Yuuri had promised him to ask his mother for Victor’s favourite meal again and he also was looking forward to it. It would be one of the last times he would get to enjoy her homemade cooking and the prince knew that he would miss it once Yuuri was at the castle.

Victor was just about to enter the tunnel system when he saw one of the few members of the Prince’s Guard he actually knew by name watching him. Yuri. He guessed that a member of his guard would recognise him without his usual flashy attire. He signalled for him to remain silent before entering the tunnels, knowing that with the 15 year-old’s admiration for him he would not sell him out. So he slipped into the darkness, having used one of the tunnels that would cause him to come out closer to where Yuuri lived than the usual ones. He had nearly run into a City Guard again the last time and there was a stronger presence of the guards in the city on this day. A council meeting was being held and men from different cities were at the town hall. From what Victor could remember it was a talk about trade routes. His father had relieved him of the duty of joining the meeting as Victor had been working without rest for the past few days. And the king could not deny that he enjoyed meeting these men. They were old friends of Victor’s father.

Victor sighed, a hand softly touching the moss-covered walls of the tunnels. He had slowed down now, knowing that the ground in that tunnel was uneven and could easily trip him. And he knew that falling in these tunnels could be dangerous. If he was to injure himself no one would know where he was. He had told Yuuri about the tunnels but Yuuri never knew when Victor might show up. And he honestly didn’t want to bring  grief to the other.

“Yuuri…” Victor mumbled as he pulled his hand back, wiping it on his shirt after touching something wet. The tunnels were really becoming disgusting in Autumn and Winter the prince thought. He felt like it was an eternity before he reached the exit, having to actually be careful when he left. The exit was in the back of a butcher’s shop. The family knew about the tunnels and also about Victor using them at times. They did not know it was him, they only knew someone was using them and didn’t care much. He paid them a few gold coins each time and no one paid any attention. Money was something so many poor families desired. Though he had to admit, Yuuri’s family was different. His mother had told him many times to not pay for the meals. She even assured him, that she did it for her son’s happiness when Yuuri was not present or listening. It seems she had noticed how they made each other smile constantly and wanted them to spend time together. He loved the fact that Yuuri’s mother was so supportive of him spending time with the younger man.

Victor sighed after he handed the money to the butcher, exiting through the back and crossing the two alleys to where Yuuri would hopefully be training so quick, that he actually was slightly out of breath the moment he could see him. Victor noted that he definitely needed to train a lot once he was allowed to do so again. He had managed to get both Yakov and his father to agree to let him train again once the next examination had passed because of how good he had been taking care of all his duties and tasks. This meant he could train with Yuuri, Victor thought happily.

He stopped, watching the young man as he swung the sword with enough force to chip the wood, unable to help feeling not only fond but also proud of how far Yuuri had come in such a short period of time. It just proved to him that the younger male had needed a trainer who could get close to him to actually get to show his true potential. And it already was amazing, he could only imagine what it would become once he had joined the Royal Guard and received training more regularly. Even if Victor had tried to come often it was nothing compared to having a fixed training schedule of at least an hour a day. And training more against other people. 

Victor was sneaking closer to Yuuri, having learned by now that he tended to stop and drop the sword the moment he felt Victor’s presence. It was strange but no matter how much he was caught up in training, Yuuri would always notice the other when he approached him and even with Victor pulling some antics at times had never injured either of them. While Yuuri  held the sword still, Victor covered his eyes with his hands. “Guess who!”

He could immediately feel tension leave the body before him as Yuuri leaned against him, Smiling softly.   
“Victor. I told you not to do that, I don’t want to injure you.”   
He just got a laugh and Victor’s head on his shoulder in return, his hands moving lower to wrap around the other’s upper body.    
“You know you wouldn’t hurt me. I didn’t even touch you when you already lowered the sword. Also, that looked good. You’ve really improved!”

Yuuri turned around, looking at Victor. Neither of them could tell when it happened but the younger had become very comfortable around him. It rarely happened that Yuuri even addressed Victor correctly. Much to the prince’s happiness. He was glad the other could get comfortable around him and treat him as an equal. Only few did and it always felt good when someone talked to him as a person, not a prince.

“Why don’t you show me a little what you did over the past few days and then we go inside and eat? Did your mother cook again? Oh and I know when you will perform! I cannot wait to see it! You will do great!”   
And suddenly Yuuri went stiff as a board in his arms. Victor couldn’t help himself, leaning even closer, placing his face next to the other’s.    
“Don’t worry. I believe in you. Yuuri. You’ve trained with me. I will be there to watch you. Don’t think of the past. You have improved. Your footwork has become wonderful. You make mistakes but none of them will cost you your chance to join. I know who will perform tomorrow and who will test you. If you want I can show you how they tend to fight. You will be perfectly fine. I believe in you.”   
  


Yuuri stared at Victor as if he had seen a ghost when the prince took the sword. Victor though just smiled back at him. He had made sure Yuri would not be the one who tested the candidate today. He had managed to argue with Yakov that they would not receive enough new members to replace those soon leaving if they used Yuri. The young blond was very ambitious and would be one of the worst options to get any new members. He would not tell Yuuri that though as it would only shake his confidence even more. He knew Yuuri could defeat Yuri. But not with the state he was in at that moment. He was too anxious, having failed multiple times to be accepted. And he needed more training from a proper trainer or Victor himself. For now he needed to make it into the Royal Guard to push his confidence a little.

Yuuri sighed, watching Victor for a moment before he took the sword back and listened to Victor rambling on about what he should be watching. They spent another hour or two outside until the sun started setting and they actually were called inside to not let the food get cold.

Victor had to nearly rip the sword out of an anxious Yuuri’s hand as he lead – or rather pushed – the other inside. He knew Yuuri could make it easily. Regardless of who he faced. His weakness he could tell by now, were the other’s nerves. One might not believe it but he was in fact able to analyse people better than expected.

Inside he was presented with a delicious meal. It was the same they had eaten when Victor had visited the second time as it had been one of his favourites. Victor was happy that they actually got to enjoy that meal again. Though he could notice Yuuri’s face going from white to red. Victor looked at him, tilting his head softly as he sat down. The other looked kind of stiff as he sat beside him. Victor smiled, at him, taking a bite on his fork and holding it out to Yuuri.

“Victor… don’t do that… please,” Yuuri was blushing even more as he spoke. Victor tilted his head, not understanding what was wrong. He had been feeding Yuuri nearly every time and while it made him blush, he never refused Victor before.   
“What’s wrong? Is it not good?” He pouted slightly, actually a little hurt at the rejection.

“Victor… do you… do you not know?”   
“Know what?” Came the simple reply, his head tilting softly, his hair falling even more into Victor’s eyes.   
“The dish… when… when it’s served…” Yuuri was a bright red colour by now and couldn’t help it. He seemed shocked that Victor didn’t know. “It has a special meaning…”   
“What meaning? Yuuri, tell me.”   
“Couples eat it at their wedding. It-It supposedly helps have a healthy marriage. They f-feed it to each other and…” He hid his face behind his hands, shaking his head in embarrassment. 

Victor blinked a few times. This dish was served at weddings? He had fed it to Yuuri before. His mother truly was sneaky, though he couldn’t deny that he did like the way she had predicted things. He reached up, pulling Yuuri’s hands from his face after putting the fork down. One hand remained holding the other’s hands down as he picked up another bite on his fork again.

“Then I want you to take this even more now that I know what it means. Please.” He did look like a hurt puppy. Yakov had told him so before as well as his father when he begged them for something they didn’t want to give him. Well, as a kid at least. He smiled softly now, not wanting Yuuri to feel guilty. After what felt like an eternity, another soft blush stained the other’s cheeks as Yuuri took the bite, mumbling Victor’s name as he did so before he offered a bite to Victor.

And of course Victor took it happily, smiling at this soft confession they had just been pushed into making. He would have to thank Yuuri’s mother for making them both signal what they wanted. Because he knew Yuuri would have run if it wasn’t what he had desired.   
“I’m so happy!” Victor laughed softly, continuing to feed Yuuri as the other fed him.

The time he had to leave came way too soon. Yuuri was standing in front of him as Victor smiled at him. “In a week’s time you will move to the castle. You will pass the examination and will become a member of my guard. I trust you and believe in you. Yuuri.” He could see the other staring at him and especially his lips for a while. Victor smiled and pressed a soft kiss to Yuuri’s cheek.   
“I believe in you.”

He left the inn, pulling his hood over his head. He smiled softly. Next week would be the day he had waited for so long. Yuuri would finally be closer to him and he could see him regularly if not even daily. Only one more week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got the whole plot figured out and have decided that I am very likely turning this into a series if people do stick with me until the end of this part. And I already have the plot for the first two parts fully figured out. I'm working on the chapter planning for part 1 now. A name is still something I am missing and I am considering changing the name of this story as well but we will see. If anyone has any ideas, please tell me!
> 
> I'd love to her your opinions, so don't hold back, comment please! I can't make it better if I don't know what would be preferred!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, as it has been nearly two weeks (and I had the chapter done for a while) I'm going to update today~
> 
> This chapter has not been corrected by my beta yet! Mistakes or sometimes bad phrases are very likely to be found! I'm not a native, I make mistakes and sometimes use too German sounding phrases! If you find anything, do tell me!
> 
> I will update this chapter with the corrected Version as soon as I have it!
> 
> I got a little carried away as well, so it is slightly longer than the last chapters but I hope that won't be a problem~  
> I have never written fighting scenes before so please don't be too hard on me! I don't know how to fight using a sword and have based this on what I've read myself, so it might be a little awkward or hard to iamgine at times.
> 
> Happy reading, I hope you'll enjoy this! And do tell me what you think! I always love reading your comments, they brighten up my day :)

Yuuri was still in shock when he went to bed that night. Victor had kissed something other than his hand. Not to forget they had actually shared a meal meant for married couples the way that was traditionally reserved for them. It just seemed so surreal. Why would someone of Victor’s standing – a prince – get so close to him – a simple commoner? 

His mother had been so happy the whole evening; he actually had to leave the room whenever she entered it. It probably never would make sense that he was good enough for Victor to not only train him but also… He closed his eyes for a moment, holding his hand out in front of his body. His arm turned slightly as if he was holding a sword as he tried to imagine himself wearing the uniform of the Prince’s Guard. He smiled slightly, able to see himself as a member of Victor’s guard before dropping his hand, staring at the ceiling in his nearly dark room. The only light came from a candle he now watched. The flame was flickering softly, making every shadow turn into a monster to the poor man’s stressed out brain. What if he failed?

If he failed, would he ever see Victor again? Surely the Prince had other things to do than to sneak out of the palace to train and meet someone like him. He would probably see what a failure Yuuri was and leave him alone again. He didn’t want that. He didn’t want to lose Victor. He wanted to learn everything the other could teach him. Not only fighting. He had never felt so drawn in by anyone before and knew it was his only chance if he didn’t want to marry some random woman and settle down. 

His sister had pushed the topic before, starting to make fun of Yuuri at times because he could not find a bride. And while he knew she was only jesting and teasing he also could not help the feeling he often had; that he was unfit for a partner. He still felt like the worst match for Victor. But then again, Victor – just like Yuuri himself – had never found a bride either. And the prince had even admitted that he had never felt attracted to women to begin with. How had he worded it? The women he was surrounded with were shallow and only caring about becoming princess and later on the queen. None of them wanted him for who he was. While Yuuri could not claim it was the same for him, he had just never felt the desire to have children and a family with any of the women he met. Well, he did have a crush on Yuko before but she was married and had children… Yuuri doubted he could have given her that.

With a sigh he rolled onto his side, noticing that a tear had slipped down his cheek as he thought of what would happen should he fail and he couldn’t help himself. He curled up tighter, pulling his blanket over his head as he stared at the candle’s flame. If he failed he would lose Victor, he was sure of it. But he didn’t want that. He had to win the show battle and make it into the Guard. He just had to.

Without moving he blew the candle out, the room going dark. The monsters were still lurking but the thoughts of Victor and how close he had been today making them stay awake as Yuuri was claimed by a dreamless sleep.

The light streaming in through his open window awoke Yuuri in the morning. He felt stiff and was somewhat cold, covering himself more with the blanket. He had barely slept, not even noticing his mother entering his room and opening a window. He had to admit that it was starting to get chilly outside and that maybe he should not oversleep anymore now as the window was always opened at the same time and it would soon become too cold. With a sigh he heaved himself up and out of his bed, rushing to the window to close it quickly. He shivered as he headed to the bath, knowing it would probably be empty at this time of the day. He could only consider himself lucky his parents were among the more wealthy people of their district. Their Inn was built on the line of the hot baths coming from the castle. The water was mostly unused and ran down the hill from one bath to the next. It wasn’t as hot as it was at the castle but his parents had set it up so they could reheat the water. It was also one of the reasons their inn usually completely booked and full of life in the public areas. And one of the reasons why he could still train so much and did not need to help with cooking and cleaning as much.

Sinking into the hot water, Yuuri had to shake his head to stop his imagination running wild. He really was in no position to imagine Victor sliding into the water in front of him. Especially not since the baths were to be used naked as clothing would only soil the water after a while. And still it somewhat calmed his nerves. Maybe Victor had sat in the same water as he did now. It did run down from the palace and as far as he knew the royal family did not rise with the sun. He blushed slightly, trying to push it onto the heat of the water but he knew better. Only six more days until he would be tested…

And said six days went by in a blur of colors and emotions once again. Yuuri barely registered anything that happened over the next few days. He was too focused on training and did feel like a robot. He ate, practiced, bathed, slept and repeated that cycle until it was time. The examination for the group he was placed into would be held around noon so Yuuri made sure to get up and eat early. Just in case he might feel sick during the fight. He didn’t want to lose because he had to throw up. He soon had to leave for the castle and was getting ready when his mother called him to the entrance hall of the inn. 

Yuuri did not understand what she could need at this time of all possibilities but he wasn’t going to leave her waiting. She had done so much for him by always feeding Victor and him. And without her, he would not feel able to even go to the examination. He grabbed his sword, fixing the belt around his hips before heading down to where she was waiting for him. Or rather was supposed to be waiting.

When he entered the room, there was only one woman. A young one at that –Yuuri assumed even younger than him. Her hair was unusually short and he tilted his head as she looked at him.    
“Yuuri?” she asked, tilting her head as well as she inspected him as if unable to believe her eyes that he was supposed to be the one she wanted.   
“Y-Yes? I’m sorry, do I know you?”    
A shake of her head was all he received in reply as she pulled out an envelope. “Victor told me to come to this inn and give this to Yuuri. If that’s you, this is for you.”   
Yuuri watched her, not quite understanding as he took the envelope. He now registered the emblem on the Prince’s Guard on her chest, blinking a few times.    
“You better pass that examination. Victor was never so eager to attend one before.” She bowed her head and was gone before Yuuri could say anything else. He didn’t even manage to thank her, so he rushed to the door, unable to see her as she had already disappeared in the crowd. It was a busy day on the market as the harvest had been brought in, so it was in fact impossible to find anyone.  Shaking his head, Yuuri went back inside and opened the envelope.

_ Yuuri,  _ _   
_ _ I do hope Mila could find you before you left for the castle. Focus. You will pass today. Just remember what I taught you. I believe in you. I will make sure to have you placed in my Guard, so do you best. You are better than anyone I’ve ever seen. Focus. _ _   
_ _ At sunset, come to the wall on the far left of the courtyard you will enter the castle through today. I will pick you up. _ _   
_ __ Victor

Yuuri blinked a few times, staring at the note. Victor had encouraged him again. Tears were stinging in his eyes as he collected his belongings and headed out, arriving at the courtyard just in time. He checked for the wall, noticing one covered by greenery. Surely Victor wouldn’t mean…? He shrugged and focused on what was in front of him. There were half a dozen applicants in his group. They were lead into a room to put their belongings away for the time they were at the castle by a young blond. Yuuri considered him to be at most 16 and a little too full of himself. Of course he did not say anything.

“You will wait here; I’m going to announce your group. Enter the room when your name is called.” With the words spoken, the young man turned away and left to head into the room. Everyone around him started chatting excitedly. Especially a young man next to him started talking and introducing himself to Yuuri as Minami. Yuuri was too nervous to focus on anything besides what was about to happen to really notice much about what he was saying.

They did not wait long before being called into the room that turned out to be a banquet hall. Two applicants passed Yuuri again, their heads hanging low while the others remained inside. Yuuri was the last to be called into the hall. He took a deep breath as he entered the room. He could see Victor sitting up slightly in his chair at the head of the table when he saw Yuuri, causing a soft blush to tint his cheeks. It did make him calm down when he felt Victor’s gaze rest only on him. Yuuri focused on the prince’s face as he walked, bowing in the middle of the room.

The blond that had lead them to the hall entered behind him, taking a seat next to Victor, looking as if he was ready to kill a man.   
“Raise,” a deep voice spoke and Yuuri complied, looking at an elderly man at Victor’s other side. He couldn’t help noticing the woman from earlier – Mila if he recalled correctly – standing behind the man, smirking softly as if she knew more than Yuuri liked.   
“Yuri,” the man spoke, his head turning to the blond. Yuuri now could see he was a boy at most and was surprised someone of that age would be sitting beside Victor. But he didn’t question it and refrained from replying, knowing he wasn’t being addressed. “Have you led the other applicants to the examination for the City Guard?”    
“What do you think, Yakov? I’m not an idiot. Now ask the questions so we can move on to the fighting examination, will you?”

Yuuri felt gazes shift back to him, though he knew Victor’s had never left him. He could feel just how nervous he was becoming. He had passed the questions time and again but always felt at the fighting.    
“How old are you?” The voice pulled Yuuri from his thoughts and made him clear his throat.    
“23.”   
“Married? Engaged? Widowed? Children?”   
“No.”   
“Literate?” This was the point he knew most failed at. He had to admit he was lucky, having been taught to read and write by his parents at a young age. It was not common among people of his standing.    
“Yes.” A nod in reply from the man he had learned to be called Yakov.    
“Applying to join?”   
“The Prince’s Guard.” He could see Victor shifting in his seat and heard a grunt from the blond who also wore the emblem. He knew he and Victor originally had decided that he would apply to be sorted into whatever was considered fitting for him but Yuuri was determined to prove himself now.   
“Very well. We will then move on to examining your fighting. Sadly, the guard who was supposed to be testing you has fallen ill.” Again he could hear Victor shifting as the other applicants were lead to stand beside him again. He quickly looked at the prince’s face, seeing that he was grimacing. “However, as there are only one opening among the prince’s guard and we have four applicants, we will hold a small tournament instead. There will be three rounds. The winner will be allowed to join the Prince’s Guard. The second may join the Royal Guard and the other two will have to retry next year. Now then, Mila, will you lead them to pick a sword for those that need it? I will escort the prince to the training grounds.”

Yuuri could feel his heart sinking a little. He had never been good with the stress the examination put on him to begin with, how would he make it through two battles now? If he even passed the first. Mila stopped beside him, smiling softly as she led them down a few hallways into a room where the other three applicants had to pick swords. As they were searching she stood next to Yuuri who was feeling as anxious as never before.

“You will win this. None of us knew that they would only accept one new member into each guard from each group of applicants. I think Victor is also surprised by it. His father must have changed it without telling him. He seems worried about you. I didn’t have a chance to talk to him but I’m sure he believes in you and wants no one but you to make it. And if you have his support you will win. If Victor believes in you, I do too. I’d rather have you join us than another brat like Yuri,” she laughed softly and it was hard to not notice that even though she called the blond a brat, she was fond of him. Yuuri though knew he had to pass now. Victor hadn’t let him run headfirst into what he could only consider a wall on purpose. He too had not known.

They were soon led outside onto a training field. No one was present. Well, a few members of the different Guards were but no one else. That was at least something positive. He was assigned to fight second, unable to catch the name of his opponent. The first pair entered the Training field around which men were standing and a throne was set up in front of. Victor was looking at Yuuri worriedly, his eyes going soft when he saw him clutch the sword tightly. Yuuri wished he could just run up to him and hug him to calm down but he knew that would mean immediate disqualification.

So instead he decided to follow the signals Victor had given him when no one watched him. Focus on the battle. If he made it through round one he would have better chances if he knew what to expect. It was shorter than anyone present might have thought possible. Minami needed only a few minutes to overpower the other and leave him in the dirt, smiling happily. Yuuri could already feel his stomach sinking slightly. Was he going to actually stand a chance?

He didn’t even realize his name was called until Mila pushed him softly, making him stumble onto the battle grounds.

He and his opponent too bowed in front of Victor before facing each other. Yuuri took a deep breath, scanning the man in front of him. He too was younger than Yuuri and he could immediately notice the sloppy footwork after following Victor’s gaze as the rounded each other once. The other attacked first, Yuuri managing to parry without problems, though his opponent put a lot of force behind his hit.

What had Victor taught him? Parry and evade. He had more stamina than those that went for sheer force. He had to tire his opponent out if he wanted a chance to turn it and win. And so he focused on parrying and evading. Most of the time he tried to evade. The force used behind each blow made his whale body shake softly and he knew his stamina would not pay off if he could not raise his arm anymore from being too cramped and hurting. He would also have to be quick. As he was second to fight he would have less time to recover after the battle. And he needed his energy. 

Earlier than expected he noticed the other stepping out again and again. He knew it was risky to attack yet and he could already hear Victor scold him but he had to use one of those openings. And so, when he noticed the other stepping out again, Yuuri parried, pushing his opponent back using his sword. He put in just enough force to send the other stumbling. Yuuri now switched into attacking and slowly was gaining ground. The other’s parries were weak as he had exhausted himself with his attacks and so there was another opening soon. Yuuri elbowed the man in the chest, making him struggle to catch his breath before moving behind him, holding his sword to the others neck, careful not to injure him.

He was panting and could feel the other man heaving as well when the battle was declared over and he declared the winner. Yuuri could not help it. He had never felt such joy before. He had made it through the first round. He would at least be accepted into the royal guard. And he had just defeated a member of the Guard for the first time. A soft blush was spreading on his cheeks as he realized that he had only succeeded because of Victor’s training and help in this battle. Victor had let out a soft sound of happiness that earned him stares by everyone present and had quickly gone back to looking as bored as he could. Though his eyes were still sparkling with joy. 

Yuuri looked up when a maid held out a goblet of water to him, which he gratefully took from her. He downed the water, taking a few deep breaths. Minami now was lead back onto the training grounds. Victor raised his hand when Yakov wanted to start the match, looking at Yuuri, then the maid for a moment. “I would like some wine. One cannot enjoy a battle well thirsty.”

Yakov looked like he wanted to slap Victor at that moment for stalling the next fight. Yuuri though knew that he was stalling the next battle for a few minutes. Of course there was no wine at the training field, so the maid had to rush to the kitchen to collect a goblet for him. No one dared object either, considering Victor’s position, though Yuri and Yakov looked ready to kill him. It took the maid nearly ten minutes to deliver the desired wine to Victor, who then started sipping it, looking anything but glad he had received his drink. But it had bought Yuuri time and he nodded at Victor, knowing he had just helped him. 

The battles were supposed to be held right after each other to make sure it was tiresome for the applicants. Especially if it was someone who had been trying as many times as Yuuri had. He knew he would have to thank Victor for literally making it possible and giving him a chance to pass later.

“Well then, if our prince now is satisfied, we can start the battle. Mila.”   
“Actually,” Victor started, laughing softly, looking at Yakov who now truly looked ready to murder his precious prince. “I am just teasing. Start the battle.”   
“Mila, if you would.”   
Mila stepped in between the opponents, nodding at both. “Very well. The final of Group 4. Do fight fairly.” Once she had stepped outside Yuuri and Minami both started to circle each other again.

This time he had the advantage of having watched before. The younger male was quick and nimble. A lot more nimble than Yuuri, so he would have to be careful. By how quickly he had finished the fight though, Yuri could tell that he did not have the best stamina. Victor had taught him how to guess what his opponents weaknesses were over a dinner they’d shared. Usually the ones who finished quickly were those with little stamina.

Yuuri parried the first few attacks. One blow came lower than expected and cut his leg, nearly making him stumble. He knew the battle would be over. Minami would be on top of him the moment he fell so he caught himself. And ignored the pain in his leg as he put his weight on it. It was growing worse over time but once again he had to wear his opponent out. He tried to ignore that he could feel blood running down his leg, instead focusing on not allowing another mistake to happen. It was hard to ignore but the cut was not deep enough to actually hurt much and he knew it would not be hard to treat either. But he knew that Victor would see the gash on his leg,  his pants clinging to him making it obvious there was blood. Only causing Victor to start worrying. So he had to end the fight quickly.

Yuuri clenched his teeth, noticing that Minami was starting to slow down. He could feel his heartbeat pulse in his leg but he knew he had to turn on it now if he wanted to win. So biting his tongue to not make a sound, he spun, Minami taken off-guard by his movement as he had used more force in this blow, expecting Yuuri to parry again as evading had caused him to become injured before. But Yuuri evaded the blow, his shirt getting cut up as he spun behind Minami, using the knee of his injured leg to cause the other to stumble as he placed the blade.

He could hear cheering from the members of the Guard around him. He could hear his name as he was declared victorious. And then his sword fell to the ground before he too stumbled and landed on his back. He cursed, unable to notice much of the world around him. Someone was shouting for a doctor and he could feel tears stinging in his eyes. He had made it. He won. Laughing as the tears started streaming down his cheeks he laid on the ground, a man starting to inspect the cut. It was as shallow as Yuuri had thought. It had just bled a little and hurt. Which it would not have if it was not for the battle going on without him faltering. 

A doctor inspected the wound, cleaning it with water and then alcohol before applying an ointment to prevent infection and a bandage. Yuuri slowly was pulled to his feet by Mila, who smiled at him. “Well done. Though I think Victor nearly had a heart attack when you got hurt. You’ll be sworn in tomorrow, you can rest today.” Yuuri shook his head. No, he wanted to be sworn in right then and there like he was supposed to. He wanted to actually be a member.

She sighed and let go of him as he stood in the middle of the battlefield. Minami was standing smiling beside him, already sworn into the Royal Guard. “Good fight. You’ll come far. I’m sorry for injuring you though.” Yuuri just shrugged, knowing he could not be mad about it. Minami too had looked shocked after cutting him. These fights were not about injuring anyone after all. They were all show. And he did not worry about the injury. It would be fine. It would be treated at the castle. These kind of cuts were normal. He had heard Victor’s tales about cuts and bruises before so he did not worry.

He recited the words he was told without messing up once, receiving a key to his chambers where his uniform would be waiting as the mark of the Prince’s Guard was attached to his chest by a very pissed looking Yuri. “Lucky pig,” he could hear before the blond left the training field. Yuuri blinked a few times as Victor approached him, placing his hands on the other’s shoulders. “Well done. I am glad to have you in my guard.” It seemed so normal and natural. Only Yuuri could see what was really going on. He smiled softly as he bowed his head.    
“Your Highness, it will be an honor to serve you.”

The words felt strange on his tongue but he had to remain formal. Victor welcoming members to his guard was a part of the ritual. He had to be accepted by the man he would serve. And of course Victor did not refuse him. Yuuri smiled softly as Victor started retreating again, the contact already too long. No one seemed to have noticed though. Only moments later was Yuuri swept away by other members of the Prince’s Guard who wanted to get to know him and drink with him.

Time passed quickly and Yuuri refrained from drinking. He had been injured, was his apology and everyone accepted it. Truth was, he did not want to miss his meeting with Victor. If he got drunk like the men around him, he would very likely not be by the wall at sunset. And so Yuuri waited, listening to stories and chatting with others, getting to know who he would be around him from now on. Yuri and Mila were not present though and he couldn’t help missing the presence of the young woman. They probably still were busy with the Examination.

It was shortly before sunset when Yuuri excused himself, claiming to need some air. He sighed once he was outside, asking a maid for the way to the chambers of the prince’s guard which she happily showed him.  He found his room easily as there was a number attached to the key. He entered the room, changing out of his dirty clothing into the garb of a member of Victor’s Guard. He remembered to move the pin to his new attire before trying to find his way to where Victor had told him to wait at sunset in his little letter.

Yuuri arrived as the sun was starting to set and watched the colors turning from blue to red. It truly was a beautiful sight. He was leaning against the wall, not knowing how Victor intended to meet up without being recognized but he shrugged softly. And suddenly there was no wall behind him anymore and he stumbled right into someone’s arms. That someone was laughing softly as he caught him and pulled him into a dark tunnel that was only illuminated by a small lantern standing on the ground. The wall closed again and they were left alone. Yuuri was put back on his feet but before he could say anything, Victor’s lips were pressing softly against his. “Well done Yuuri.”   
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit, 15.01.2017: It has been beta'd and updated~


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally found time and motivation to write, holy fuck. my schedule at university is pretty cramped at the moment, I'm so sorry. This is not yes edited and I made a hell of a lot of typos while writing, no clue if I saw them all in time. Sorry for the long wait, blame my university. it's not easy to be there 8 to 5 x_x

Victor took Yuuri’s hand in his own, smiling softly at the other as he started dragging a somewhat startled and dazed young man along into the tunnels, heading towards his chambers. He was humming something from a recent play he had seen, happy to finally have Yuuri stay close to him. He just couldn’t wait to spend more time with him. Especially as his restrictions on training were slightly more lose by now, meaning he’d be able to actually fight Yuuri for the first time. During their months of training, he never could do that as Yuuri had only one sword and taking his own along would have been much too risky. No one but the City and Royal Guard was allowed to carry swords in the city and chances of being caught were much too high for the prince to risk it. Especially since he did enjoy spending time with the other.

He suddenly remembered something, pressing a piece of paper into Yuuri’s hands while he kept leading him through the tunnels. By now they were side by side, Yuuri getting out of his daze from the kiss and smiling so sweetly and with a soft blush tinting his cheeks.  
“It’s a map to show you how to get through the tunnels on your own. I copied mine last night. Just always take a light with you. It shows entrances and exits within the castle as well as the one that was closest to you home,” he explained before Yuuri could even ask.

And soon enough the light of his little lantern became useless. Victor did curse his memory for a moment, suddenly reminded that he had forgotten to close the entrance, carefully checking that his bedroom was still empty. He should never leave the tunnels open, it would only increase the risk of being caught sneaking around… and not to forget Makkachin, who luckily was dozing lazily near the fire could get lost in them if he went to look for his owner. He sighed and remembered to close it this time after leading Yuuri through into his chambers. With a soft sigh, he looked around as if he had not been in these rooms for a long time. Yuuri immediately caused the dog to jump up though, being run over by him and sniffed and licked all over while Victor struggled to pull the poodle away from Yuuri who was laughing in the most beautiful way. Thank God Makkachin had not started to bark like a madman – or better mad-dog- so no one checked on him.

Once his dog settled back in front of the fire, taking much convincing and treats but going back to dozing, he could actually inspect his own room with Yuuri. Gold ornaments decorated the walls and every piece of furniture. There was a bust of his face when he was younger standing in front of the entrance to the tunnels. Well, normally it was. This time he had to push it back to its position and make sure the carpet hung behind it was covering everything properly. He was moving about swiftly, putting the cloak he had worn as protection against the cold of the tunnels into his wardrobe. He could feel Yuuri gaping at everything around them and especially his wardrobe, filled with all his princely garments and shimmering gold in some parts. It was flashy, unlike anything the common people ever owned, everything dyed in bright colors and decorated with jewelry.  He sighed, closing the wardrobe again, only to find a curious Yuuri having crawled onto his bed where he had pulled down a piece of clothing from a painting hanging above it.

“Why did you cut your hair?” the question came as a surprise and Victor actually found himself blinking out of confusion in his approach to the bed. He looked up at the painting, shrugging softly. It too showed him when he was younger and was rather gigantic. He hated it and normally kept it covered as it really did give him the weirdest feeling to look at it and wake up with his own face staring back at him. His father had insisted on him putting it on the wall in his room though and Victor had protested but was met with deaf ears. It was only common for a ruler to have a painting of himself where it can always be seen, was all he heard as a reply. Yeah because his room was very likely to be the place where everyone saw this painting.

He sighed, pushing his hair out of his eyes as he sat on the bed beside Yuuri, looking at the other with a soft smile. “I just felt like I needed a change. Back then I thought it would make me happier.  I had no idea that it wouldn’t change much. Not like you did, Yuuri.” He laughed slightly, absolutely loving the blush that he had caused to appear.  
“And I think I wanted to take on a more mature and more masculine appearance. After all everyone was talking about how I needed to find a wife and believe it or not, I wanted to find one. Until I realized just how shallow all these women were…” He looked at Yuuri, smirking softly at the way the other was laid on his bed.

He back was arched upwards and his hands supported his upper body as he stared up, looking at every detail of the painting. Victor usually felt ill looking at it mostly because of the amount of gold use used. He never liked all the gold in his life. It felt so pretentious. And with a sound on content, Victor sat back up, sitting on Yuuri’s hips, his head next to the others ear as he placed a soft kiss on the lobe. “What a shame that you got injured. I wanted to show you so much more tonight. I wanted to see more of you being that fierce.” And before he could react, Yuuri was gone, hitting the wall below the painting as he looked at Victor. “What?”

Yuuri blushed and slowly moved back towards Victor, sitting in front of him, cross legged. “I’m sorry… I should be used to it by n-”  
Victor laughed and silenced the other with another kiss. “Don’t worry, alright?”

He sighed, sitting back as well. As much as he enjoyed teasing Yuuri, he wouldn’t push the other to do anything he did not want. “You did have me worried but I’m glad nothing worse happened.” He now got back up, returning with a small vial of another ointment. It had the same effect the one the doctor had used had, but was of course of even higher quality. It was made for Victor when he had injured himself and as such it had to be especially good quality.  
“Let me see that cut, please.”

Yuuri quickly did remove his pants, only realizing a moment later that he had just taken of his clothes in front of Victor like it was normal; at least that’s how Victor interpreted the look on Yuuri’s face. He shrugged, also collecting some bandages and warm water from his room before slowly unwrapping the wound. He pursed his lips, only now realizing that this was no good. He could clean the wound on his bed. Not with how much dirt was all over Yuuri’s body.  
“Come,” he instructed instead, holding his hand out for Yuuri after he collected everything he had brought into the room and the other’s pants. There was a little hesitation but it didn’t take very long until he was guiding Yuuri into the bath connected to his bedroom. With a soft smile he checked the water’s temperature. It was still very how from his earlier bath so it would be good to use. Unlike his father he had at some point insisted that his water would only be heated when he needed it. The servants were glad and so was he.

He picked up another bottle, this time with something that would make the area on Yuuri’s leg where the cut was go numb. The how water wouldn’t feel very good on an open cut, he had learned the hard way. Victor carefully applied a generous amount, waiting for Yuuri to strip o the rest of his garments as the other had caught on on what he was supposed to be doing. Victor too stripped off his clothing, actually leaving it in a pile while Yuuri put his away neatly. It caused his cheeks to tint pink as the prince realized he was much too used to just being able to put on something new every day whereas Yuuri had to wear the same for longer periods of time.

He already sunk into the water, Yuuri taking a little longer before he followed after Victor. It wasn’t hard to guess that he had watched him; the gaze was something one could feel. But Victor didn’t mind. Yuuri was special. He did not mind Yuuri ever looking at him. He actually had considered making the dark haired male completely his after he passed the examination but he wouldn’t do it now. The wound was a risk and he knew that if his heart started beating too quick, it might cause excessive bleeding. And that was really not what he wanted.

But oh, that did not mean Victor would not stare. And stare he did. He could not help it. Yuuri looked perfect. His chest was beautifully toned and showed that he was stronger than one might have thought at first sight. A soft line of hair was trailing down his lower abdomen and then his eyes fell on-  
 And suddenly Victor slid down into the water, actually having to hide his blush behind his hands. Yuuri was turned on by either his touch or getting to share a bath with him. Holy fuck, he cursed for the first time since he had been injured only slowly coming back up when he was running out of air. And he jumped as suddenly there was a very attractive and very naked Yuuri sitting in front of him.

“Are you okay? I was worried there for a moment…” Victor just wrapped his arms around the other, hiding his face in Yuuri’s neck.  
“You’re so beautiful.”  
“Victor? Are you okay?”  
“Do I look okay?” There were tears in his eyes as he kissed Yuuri again on the lips, this time longer and using his tongue to seek entrance into the other’s mouth. To his surprise he was granted it within mare moments, a soft bite on his lips tempting his even more to just screw what he had promised himself. But no, he was better than to put his beloved at risk by being impatient.

He pulled back, looking down at Yuuri, a hand coming up to softly touch the other’s lip. Oh how he wanted to leave marks. But they would cause others to ask questions and neither of them could afford that.  
“That ointment actually works, it doesn’t hurt.” And suddenly Yuuri’s lips pecked his again before the other’s warmth pulled away slightly, leaving a very dazed prince standing on his own. Victor blushed, amazed that he could feel Yuuri’s warmth and wondering just what ointment the other meant. The salve or… the kiss?

Yuuri was now washing himself, using one of Victor’s soaps as the other watched him, completely lost in the moment. He too was not turned on and knew he was going to use the memory later on. But for now he just moved in, ignoring the fact that he craved so much more and instead started washing the other’s back carefully, earning him a moan that did its part to his body. Victor sighed, slowly retreating to a corner of the bath as he watched Yuuri.

It seemed the other enjoyed smelling and trying all the different kinds of soaps Victor had and he could not deny that he would have done the same if he suddenly found himself in a bath like this. After what seemed like forever both of them seemed calmed down and Yuuri was clean again so they slowly got out of the bath. Victor actually kind of pulled the other out as the steps did turn out to be a challenge. They were slippery and Yuuri’s leg was numb from the ointment so he struggled with his step. They both found it rather amusing though, so they ended up laughing on the floor, next to each other. Both of them stayed that way for a while, rolling onto their side, Victor looking at Yuuri as he brushed the prince’s hair away before slowly getting up. He collected the bandaged and everything, carefully using some cloth to dry Yuuri off before applying the salve. He smiled softly, carefully holding the other’s leg up as he did so. His handiwork was quick and careful, something he had learned from his own injury as he had gotten annoyed by the doctor constantly nagging. So he just had decided to learn to do it himself. Once the wound was wrapped back up behind bandages, he pulled Yuuri back to his feet.

Suddenly he had to catch the other, blushing as he held him upright.  
“I think it might have been a little too much of that numbing one…” Yuuri pulled himself up on Victor smiling softly as he shook his head.  
“It’s okay. It’s only numb.” Victor helped the other get dressed again in response, smiling at every little touch. It did feel great to be able to be so close and not in some alley or a kitchen, where he had to worry about being discovered.

Neither of them really paid much mind to the time passing until a knock could be heard on the door. Before either man could reply, Mila poked her head inside, startling Victor more than she should have. Luckily they had gotten dressed a few minutes earlier so he just softly glared at her.  
“Yakov wants to see you, he’s on the way. I guessed I should warn you. I did read that letter you know. Sorry for bringing bad news.”  
Victor sighed, turning back to Yuuri who placed a loving kiss on his lips before being run over by a dog again. What was going on, why was Makkachin so intent on running Yuuri down? Was he trying to be funny?

He sighed, Mila joining him this time to pull the dog off of Yuuri so victor could say goodbye to the other man. He kissed Yuuri again and moved the bust and carpet to show Yuuri how to open the tunnel after Mila turned around, focusing fully on the dog. Yuuri grabbed the map and a lantern before heading into the tunnels, Mila disappearing out of the door. Victor closed the tunnel again, sighing in exhaustion. Why did his dog have to ruin the moment? Yuuri was finally kissing him as well and then… there was a dog. “Makkachin, why did you do that?”

But before he could get a bark in reply the door opened again and Yakov came in, looking annoyed by the cheery attitude Victor was showing.  
“We need to talk about your behavior today.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, the baths are in my opinion more like those roman baths/hot springs. I based the idea and system on roman ones that I have visited before. I hope I remembered right what they worked like. Sadly it isn't as long as I had hoped to get it but it is more of a filler anyways. I don't want to write 40+ chapters and not get anywhere like I used to in the past. I have a clear plan that I want to go with and also finish. If it takes too long it won't be good anymore at some point. I know myself.
> 
> Also, I only though about it now... Yuuri does not wear glasses in my story. I feel like I needed to share my thoughts. It just wouldn't fit in. As much as I love his glasses, I can not imagine a swordsman wearing glasses. And since in this kind of world you don't only have competitions where you need to fight... I just didn't see it fit. Also because there wouldn't be any plastic frames and his clearly is plastic. I don't know but I just don't want to imagine Yuuri wearing some half-moon spectacles. So no glasses for him. Just better eyesight. He probably would still have impaired sight, but wearing glasses myself it would feel weird to write about the way he sees things. "A blob was moving towards him. Yuuri squinted his eyes, only now able to make out the Silver hair. Oh Victor. that beautiful blob was Victor."
> 
> I also didn't include Makkachin at first, having managed to forget that this beautiful dog was in Victor's room so I added him when reading through the chapter... I hope it didn't turn out too bad. Instead of drama he's the comedy this time.


	7. Chapter 7

A day had passed when Yuri found himself standing on the training grounds. A circle had formed around the two figures who were currently engaged in battle. The men beside him were going wild with excitement but all the blond felt was contempt. Something about this whole situation was off but he could not quite point his finger on it. 

Ever since Victor had been watching the battles so intently, he had felt like something was not right. He could swear the prince even had stalled events at one point, demanding drink that was not present when he could have picked anything else, which gave the fighters a break. Especially the one who ended up winning.   
And then the first day of training had started. Before he even had had a chance to address Victor about the promised training should he make it through the first few selective rounds for the grand tournament, the other had turned to the new guard member and asked for a spar. Normally no one would have questioned the prince’s choices but it had been a long time since Victor had approached anyone to fight them. 

Yuri shifted slightly, making an annoyed sound when the man beside him got to close, his hand dashing to a dagger he was carrying, making the bastard that touched him flinch and retreat. His gaze fell back onto the fighting couple. He watched, noticing just how well they matched each other. He could see Victor running out of breath by now, realizing that his opponent was using his stamina to his advantage. Clever indeed. But he knew it would not be enough. Victor was undefeated. Not even Yuri himself had a chance and he had the biggest weapon expertise among everyone present.

And suddenly it was over. A flurry of sword, a turn, an opening that new member had not even realized he left and he was down in the dust, Victor standing above him, holding his sword to the other’s throat. “I win,” he heard the prince say as he held his hand out and the other got back to his feet with Victor’s help.

A soft sound of annoyance escaped him as he watched those two. He was about to call out to Victor when he suddenly spoke again, still completely focused on his opponent, whose name Yuri refused to remember, feeling insulted by the fact that there were two people with the same name in the Prince’s Guard now. Especially after Mila had tried to nickname him! He had been there first, so why should he have a nickname?    
“Yuuri, I would like to train you privately. You have potential and I’d like to help you.”

Yuri looked incredulously at Victor. He had already promised him private training! He couldn’t just offer that to someone else! Had he forgotten his promise? The prince was known for being forgetful but that just topped it off.

“Oi Victor!” He was now standing in the middle of the circle that somehow still existed as everyone watched those two – and now three. “Have you forgotten what you promised me?”   
Victor just blinked at him, tilting his head slightly. So he had forgotten indeed. Yuri growled slightly, glowering at Victor.    
“You promised to give me private lessons if I made it through the first few qualification rounds!”

Victor was laughing now, waving a hand. “Oh did I? I completely forgot!”   
“Well, you better remember now. I won’t just let you get out of this. You forget too much, you’re like an old man!”

He could see the other Yuuri draw in a breath as he looked between them. No one else seemed to mind his tone though, so it left only one confused person. It wasn’t unusual for Yuri to be rather straightforward and even go as far as to insult Victor. He was of a high enough rank, that it usually was overlooked. Additionally to being rather young of course. Yuri raised a brow as if challenging Victor.    
“Well, I guess it can’t be helped. I’ll train you both then!” 

Now that might have gotten Victor a nod from Yuuri, but the other was not so easy to please. Yuri could feel anger reaching a new height, growling again like a feline, ready to attack.    
“Forget it! You’ll train only me!” He glared at the other Yuuri again, making him flinch by faking an attack. Yuri chuckled as he looked at him, then at Victor.    
“How about you two fight over who gets me to train him? It would definitely be entertaining and a good practice for the Grand Tournament!” Victor was smiling, delighted by his idea.

Neither of them seemed very happy about it, Yuri noticed. Only Victor was already patting himself on his back for such a brilliantly dumb idea. He growled again but nodded. He was undefeated. Well nearly. Only Victor had ever defeated him so Yuri was confident he would win once again. It could not be that hard to win against a pig like that. “Good luck, piggy.”

He turned and left the circle, everyone trying to pretend to be busy as he walked past them, not wanting to get caught up in his rage. It would not be the first time someone was taken out for multiple days for challenging him when he was in no mood to hold back. 

As always, Mila pretty much ignored that clear warning signs and kept following Yuri, even going as far as to chase him until the blond was positively convinced he was going to rip off her head. “One wor-,” was all he managed to say before he turned, noticing something in her expression that told him that she knew more than he did. He looked at her, stepping closer, tilting his head. “What do you know? I can see it in your eyes.”

But before he got a chance to hold her and make her reply, she had turned and left. “Find out for yourself!” Yuri huffed, not sure what to make of that. So he just stood in the courtyard for a while, staring at her retreating back and growling softly to himself how he was going to kill her before heading to his quarters. He needed a break and there was only one place where he would calm down. He hoped his grandfather was free at the time and not in some meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's so short x_X  
> Overall I'm currently really focused on university and have been trying to fit in writing for a while now. I somehow finally managed to get something done. Even if it is short. I think it's good enough to lead up to what's going to happen next. Even if it might be a little disappointing considering the length of the wait x_x I'm sorry for that. I'll try to somehow try to get ahead now and write multiple chapters so I have them in advance. But I can't promise anything. University is using a crazy lot of my time right now (8-5 times at university and studying are a little too much at times) but I'm sure I can find time somehow. I'll do my best, I don't want to drop this story!
> 
> Also sorry if ii got slightly out of character. I kind of ended up reading tons of Drarry fan fiction again in every break I have so I'm pretty sure I got influences by Draco writing this x_x


End file.
